Dear David’s Bridal,

I’m sorry for what I said the last time I was there when I was hangry and my feet were hurting. No, but really - I have no issues admitting when I’m wrong and I have definitely spouted my dislike for DB in the past…I’m taking that all back. I’m blaming it on the many hours I’ve spent being the guinea pig bridesmaid for multiple friends and family members: “Let’s try the navy again,” “Ok, straps off this time,” “Can you suck in a little more?,” “Heels off,” “Wait, put your heels on again,” “I need pics of you in the lilac one again.”UGH. If you’ve ever been a bridesmaid, chances are you’ve been at a David’s Bridal, stuffed into a couple of dresses and made to feel like a human sausage or you’ve been covered in so much damn fabric that you might as well be wearing a tent instead. In hindsight, that’s not David’s’ fault, that’s just one of the things you sign up for when you accept ‘maid duty.

Since I’m now in bride-to-be status myself and dragging my feet on a dress, my cousin texted me a link to David’s $99 dress sale; I smirked and didn’t even open it. It wasn’t until I started seeing some gorgeous images on Instagram ads and thought maybe, just maybe, DB had stepped their game up. So I clicked that link and I was not only pleasantly surprised by their selection but I actually ended up forwarding the link over to quite a few other fellow brides. As an advocate for chill brides and emphasizing the phrase “don’t sweat it” this year, I felt it was my duty to share some great finds from the sale.

There are tons of dresses included in the sale with something for everyone whether you’re looking for a simple look, a sprinkle of flair, Lady Gaga level flair (i.e. my Zac Posen pick) or a cute + casual option for your shower or rehearsal dinner. Another excellent thing about these guys are that they are inclusive and have a wide range of styles and sizes, to accommodate all brides. Prices start at $99 on up - one thing to note is that some of these are labeled as Sample and As-Is, which means they’ve been tried on in-store or were used for display so make sure to read through any notes online but I’d also highly suggest heading in-store to see local options as well. You should also note that there’s a sale for $20-30 off of bridesmaid’s dresses too! But hurry - this sale ends on January 22nd! Check out my top 10 $99 picks below: ,

Even before Bridal Fashion Week and the Royal Wedding, I've been smitten with all of the trending wedding wear I've been seeing recently. After sharing this love (and many Pinterest boards) with my stylist friend, Erika, aka The Style Cupid, we began dreaming up a styled shoot that mixed modern boho with classic and ladylike. We envisioned a vintage tea party for the bride-to-be who we work with every day: casual, confident, stylish and isn't afraid of a little edge. We found an AMAZING team of local Chicago ladyboss vendors that were all in and I can't express enough how beautifully everyone worked together to make this such a great shoot! MAJOR shout out to Honeybook and the Rising Tide Society community for their ultimate powers of connection!

I may have started planning this shoot a liiiiiittle out of order but before venue, before decor, basically before anything, I reached out to Kelly from Bash Calligraphy immediately! I've been drooling over her personalized bridal jackets and knew she was nearby in Madison so when she said she would ship over one of her "Wifey" leathers, I literally jumped up and did a 90s fist pump! And I'm so glad that was my first step because that set the tone for everything else. Shortly after, I connected with Meg Adamik and I was instantly drawn to her photography style - after a couple of emails and feeling her excitement, I knew she was the perfect person to capture what we were going for. And what a blessing...Meg not only takes amazing photos but her positive energy is so contagious!

I've been itching to work with that Pantone Ultra Violet somehow so when we decided to add some "mood" to the look, I shopped around until I found the perfect shade of deep plum. When I shared this thought with Vy, our floral designer, she sent me over samples of bouquets with beautiful pink roses that were perfectly mixed with royal purple flowers. Vy was such a huge part of my design ideas, whether she knows it or not, because she had such great floral suggestions that helped me pull even more inspiration. With all that said, the next person I turned to was Romy, owner of Kith & Kin - a lady that really knows how to tea! She provided us with those gorgeous modern teacups, the tea pot, saucers, serving platters and even sent over a special brew for the day. Once our table was set, I connected with Nerissa from NB Modern Calligraphy and it's like she knew what I was thinking after one short email - she sent over samples of paper, inks and gorgeous hand-dyed ribbons in violets, purples and coppers and my jaw dropped *heart eye emoji*

click images to enlarge

When the table was all set, Erika worked her magic to pull together all of the looks. When Honey Bridal's email came across my inbox and I saw they had picked out & FOR LOVE's Brooklyn gown in "Disco"(worn by Diane - and by disco, they mean DISCO) we were ECSTATIC! For the jumpsuits, Erika picked up the perfect Free People one-piece with amazing flare legs (in oatmeal, worn by Kasia) For the others, my cousin, Briana - the owner of Bella Bridesmaids-Minneapolis, pulled 2 looks that were perfect: the Scarlette by Joanna August, a romantic halter style (in white, worn by Chasity) and the Mila, an off the shoulder jumpsuit with gorgeous boho-style lace by Theia (in baby pink, worn by Kristina). Erika shared her vision with our beauty team, Yenuhen and Yessenia, and they NAILED IT.

so excited for a friend’s upcoming wedding, which they’ve decided to make a creative black tie affair - my first thought was “congrats!” and my second thought was “what do i wear?!” and after a minor freak out, I realized that this. is. AMAZING...the possibilities are endless!

photo via Pinterest

first rule of creative black tie: you can bend the rules. you’ll want to remember the basics of black tie attire but keeping in mind that you can pepper in your own flair -- you know I love flair! conservative necklines and hemlines can be traded in for more interesting looks like a chic, flowy jumpsuit - and a lady can even give her man a run for his money by outdoing him in her own form-flattering tux.

photo via Pinterest

and speaking of the fellas... guys, you can loosen your collar a tad bit for this soirée. you can certainly wear a bow tie but make it stand out - take a hint from your date and choose a pop of color from their corresponding ensemble. and feel free to play around with in-season suit colors, vests, fun jacket linings, silk socks and pocket squares.

photo via Pinterest

photo via Pinterest

if you want to be the belle of the ball, there are so many dress options but please remember: you cannot outshine the bride - unspoken wedding rules still apply here (this ain't the Oscars, hunny!) just remember you can do so much with a solid color - look for interesting fabrics, hues, patterns and cuts that stand out on their own or paired with statement earrings or a clutch.

photo via Pinterest

photo via Pinterest

photo via Pinterest

photo via Pinterest

so what have I decided on wearing? that's still tbd - duh, it's me...I'll be picking out outfits until the day before. but because I'm a tad extra, one thing that I keep coming back to are these flowy formal maxi dresses that are popping back up this year. i'm in love with this number worn by Olivia Palermo, which I'd pair with a simple strappy black heel and an on-trend circular clutch.

photos via Pinterest

lastly, don’t feel like you have to spend a million dollars just for one day. check out options like Rent the Runway and Black Tux and don’t be afraid to explore stores like Nordstrom Rack or Off Fifth - if you’re looking for something classic, you might find something from last season that is timeless, chic and a good damn deal! for more inspo, check out my Pinterest board here.